“If food waste was a country, it would be the third biggest greenhouse-gas emitter behind the U.S. and China,” she said. Soil vitality can be restored, and methane can be reduced, by diverting organic waste away from landfills and livestock manure from ponds.

Hannah also pointed out that the aforementioned practices will do more than simply reduce carbon emissions:

“Maximizing regional self-sufficiency with these agricultural practices and energy production methods will strengthen local economies, make them more resilient, help prevent global conflict, and ease the sense of scarcity and the economic burden increasingly felt by the majority.”

Hannah concluded by saying, “While these changes might seem challenging, we do have the capacity—if we can only galvanize the will. Many communities have already begun implementing some of these solutions. But top-down change is also essential if we are to address the climate crisis with the speed and scale needed. For this to happen, citizens must insist on getting the influence of money out of politics and the legislative process.”